31 Comments

I like the three color patches that are thick enough to stick up out of the cards or any larger multi-color cuts. My favorite memorabilia card is out of Topps American Pie, part of the Berlin Wall. Though I have to admit, a piece of game used Air Jordans would be sweet!

I think that part of the basketball rim and/or net from NBA finals games would be cool. Or, if they could get coaches to actually give them up, a cut from the play cards coaches use during games, maybe from playoff games or the Super Bowl. Also, if the players don’t keep them, maybe an insert set of cuts from baseballs that were used for milestones like 2000 career hits, 1000 career RBIs, 2000 career strikeouts, or season milestones like 200 hits, 100 rbi’s, etc

What I want to see has more to do with the authenticity process.
A few years back there was at least one product that showed a picture of the
original Jersey the swatch came from along with a statement of what game it
was used in. Better yet, show a picture of the player turning it over to the
company rather than some “agent”. This lack of providence and chain of possession
is troubling.

Today’s COA seem to guarantee nothing.
You get a Babe Ruth piece now and it turns out to be from a seat or something.
Meaning the peanut vendor was closer to it than the Babe ever was, assuming the
seat was even in existence when he was playing.

Also, what happens when it turns out the item is shown to be fake?
A COA is supposed to mean that you are guaranteed the item is real or that they
will then get it for you and replace it or that you will be given the $$$ value.
This BS of sending someone a replacement item because its supposed value is
the same is garbage. I got sent an auto picture of Penny Hardaway by upper deck
after the John Stock Auto Card redemption could not be filled? Sorry, not the same at all.
Either give me what is mine or give me the money!

I like variety in my memorabilia cards, which is why 2005 Absolute Memorabilia’s Tools of the Trade set was so great – up to six different materials from one player on one card. They had batting gloves, catching gear, wristbands, shoes, gloves… anything you can think of was probably used in one of those cards. Really, I like to see color and variety in my memorabilia, which can be tough to do when most baseball uniforms are plain white or grey.

I think that adding a picture of the full jersey/ball/bat/etc. on the back of the card prior to it being cut up is definitely a good idea that has been done before and I wish was done more often. It would also be nice if the company added more information about which game(s) the item was used in, which has also been done before.

In baseball, what I don’t think that’s been done that I would like to see is game-used dugout lineup card jumbo paper “swatch”, autos and swatches of umpire clothing (umpires rarely get the love in baseball trading cards when they are an integral part of the game), relics from actual MLB foul poles, foundation chips from MLB baseball stadiums being torn down, and belt pieces from the belts from the uniforms of MLB players since that is about the only thing from a player that hasn’t made it to a trading card relic.

Why even ask this? The card companies don’t care. We are ok spending big time money on packs that have one color jerseys, why would they change? It was playoff that showed the actual item on the back of the card and that was long time ago. Topps only recently started putting patches in their products, 90% of their production are one color jersey cards and 90% of their football stuff are from the rookie photo shoot, which means a player wore it for 5 mintues and then took it off. And as far as where the actual jerseys came from, that is even a bigger question. Topps doesn’t know, beckett doesn’t know, we all just pretend they are real. Do we really want to know if they are not? I don’t have one jersey card in my personal collection. In the long run these are horrible investments.

It would be awesome to get a card with a piece of game-used sunglasses from the players! When they say to try to look through the other person’s eyes they really mean it! This memorabilia card would take that very literally!

I am with Jonny Hodge I like the DNA relics from Ginter, way cool. Aside from that, anything with color, I mean I get tired of looking at a white or grey sock/patch, or a brown piece of bat. How about some green, blue, red, or even some blood stained grey or white sock/patch (seen those before, pretty gnarly).

My favorites from recent years have been game-used stick and goalie equipment pieces (gloves and blockers) in NHL cards. My first love was the Leaf Limited “HARDWEAR” cards, 2006 edition to be specific, which I own a good collection of.
I know othere have mentioned the cards that actually showed the item the mem piece was cut from. Those were Donruss products of the early 2000’s, and I miss that too.

All questions about legitimacy aside – I think the next innovation for relic cards should be tying these items to actual events. It’s been done on a small scale before, but every relic card should be tied to a time frame or specific game. A plain white jersey swatch from say a World Series jersey should be more special than a plain white jersey swatch from gane 12 of the season but it would be great to know. That might also help legitimize the card for many people.

For example, you may not care to have a jersey card from Armando Galarraga but if the jersey swatch was specifically from his Non No-Hitter game, and it said so on the card, it would instantly make that jersey swatch more appealing. Or a jersey from the game a player hits for the cycle. I just think game dating the newer stuff makes the most sense and would set swatches apart from each other. The truly historical stuff couldn’t be dated (some probably could) but then I’d want better quality control on those items as Topps has been screwing them up on a too-regular basis lately.

in Hockey products I would like to see more pucks being used. Also nets, goal posts, pieces of the penalty box or how about pieces of the glass. Maybe a referee’s jersey. Melted Ice, I know they sell it in larger versions I wonder if you could down size it to be put into a card? Piece of the Zamboni???

How about an insert set called “Impressions”? It would be a card that had clay imbedded in the card where the athlete could put a finger print into along with their signature. Kind of like what they do in Hollywood.
Another insert set that would be cool, would be called “Career Path”. It would have a jersey swatches of a player from all levels they played in. It could have little league, high school, college, usa, minor league and major league jersey swatches. How cool would that be to have of your favorite player?

I agree with Richard. The whole authenticity process needs to be revamped. It is freaking ridiculous that several articles have came out linking fake memorabilia being sold to the card companies that produce these “game used” cards. Why can’t Topps etc. get the game used memorabilia straight from the players or teams instead of buying them from shady vendors?

I would also like to see the cards include what date the memorabilia was used on on the back of the card.

I also HATE when I see game used cards that picture a player in one uniform but the patch or jersey is obviously from another team’s uniform. Start MATCHING the game used jersey to what uniform the player is wearing on the card. Only makes sense right?

As for what kind of game used cards I like. I like the jumbo jerseys cards from 2011 Marquee Titanic Threads, multi color patch cards from different players on the same team (I would like to see hall of famers or current stars on the same team with multiple pieces of patches on the same card. I’m a Padres fan so I would love to see a Gwynn/Winfield/Hoffman patch card or something similar.), multi color batting glove cards are cool like the ones used in 2001 Upper Deck MVP and the tools of the trade cards are also nice as well with multiple game used items on one card (cleats, jersey, pants, etc.)

GU and autos on the same card also makes it even sweeter. To me that is like getting the best of both worlds on the same card.

I’d like to get a real piece of a pen used by the athlete to sign autographs after a game. Or would that be too meta? Allow me to answer my own question: No, it would not. Or even better, how about an autograph card that also has a piece of the pen that was used to sign it?

Or this: A card with a piece of a real locker room mirror that the athlete at one point gazed into. When you look at it, you see your own face staring back. But for a moment you wonder if it really is you. . . .